mast for my windmill

[wotayottie]

Being by nature a bit "careful" I could not bring myself to buy the support mast along with the Airbreeze windmill I bought at SBS. I thought I would buy the bits and make one up. I didnt realise that the colonials who make Airbreeze would still be making the mounting boss to obsolete imperial dimensions so I would need a 48mm o/d stainless main tube rather than a standard 50mm

I'm sure that others will have gone this route before me. So can anyone advise where I might get suitable tube for the main pole and indeed any other of the components like rubber noise insulation materials and brackets etc.

Or is there someone down on the S Coast maybe who specialises in making stainless fabs for boats and can knock one up at a sensible cost.

 

[Oscarpop]

Having picked up the airbreeze as well as the mounting kit and poles at the SBS I can say that I am not sure that I have made my life any easier.

All the bolts,nuts,hex keys are imperial and I didnt have the right ones. Also, unlike IKEA furniture, every part seems to need a different socket or hex key.

 

[sarabande]

oh that's easy; what you need is a standard 1 and 57/64ths imperial tube

But 1 and 7/8ths will do.

 

[stearman65]

Conduit

Get som 50mm dia ss conduit from RS components or some other electrical supplier, have your boss milled out to 50mm+ if there is enough meat on it. Or again look through an electrical catalogue for a suitable stainless base, or alternatively some stantion bases may be suitable. Used a 2 metre length to attach my GPS aerial back in 1995. Use thick wall conduit, there used to be two grades. Hood frams suppliers can supply fittings to attach bracing legs. Just clamped mine to the pushpit because there was little weight.
Stearman65

 

[rogerthebodger]

I think you will find the mounting is designed to use 1.5 inch schedule 40 tube that has an outside diameter of 1.875 inch or 48mm.

I welded a 1.5 inch nipple on to the end of 50mm o/d 1.6 mm wall welded tube and cut toe top threads off.

 

[wotayottie]

I think you will find the mounting is designed to use 1.5 inch schedule 40 tube that has an outside diameter of 1.875 inch or 48mm.
.

You are absolutely right - that is a standard pipe size - but pipe is not made mirror finished and tends to be heavier guage.

 

[TQA]

Your gonna wish you had bought the mounting kit.

 

[rogerthebodger]

but pipe is not made mirror finished and tends to be heavier guage.

That's why I welded a nipple to welded tube that you can get in mirror finish.

 

[clyst]

Your gonna wish you had bought the mounting kit.

Also probably wish he never bought the genny . In my exerience they are a total waste of near £1000 . Noisy ,poor output,and knock out "slip rings" for a past time .Utter dross in my experience .

 

[wotayottie]

Also probably wish he never bought the genny . In my exerience they are a total waste of near £1000 . Noisy ,poor output,and knock out "slip rings" for a past time .Utter dross in my experience .

Thanks!

 

[BrianH]

I bought anodised aluminium antenna mast sections - a short one to fit the generator base and a long, slightly-wider one into which the short section fitted, which made it adjustable. A slot cut at the top of the long section with an alloy mast clamp to compress and secure at just the right height. All bought from a TV installer at non-marine prices.

And why not alloy? It's what our masts are made of, usually. It's light and cheap compared to stainless - and easily worked, which is a boon when you need those holes for drainage and cabling. After seven years service it still looks good.

Ignore the doom-mongers - I have had good results with my Air-X, especially for generating the power when sailing, when it comes into its own.

 

[viago]

I bought anodised aluminium antenna mast sections - a short one to fit the generator base and a long, slightly-wider one into which the short section fitted, which made it adjustable. A slot cut at the top of the long section with an alloy mast clamp to compress and secure at just the right height. All bought from a TV installer at non-marine prices.

And why not alloy? It's what our masts are made of, usually. It's light and cheap compared to stainless - and easily worked, which is a boon when you need those holes for drainage and cabling. After seven years service it still looks good.

Ignore the doom-mongers - I have had good results with my Air-X, especially for generating the power when sailing, when it comes into its own.

why not indeed. specially as 48mm rang a bell: http://www.metals4u.co.uk/Aluminium-Tube/Scaffold-Tube-1-2932-od-x-7swg-wall/22/7560/detail.asp
better still:
http://www.scaffolding-direct.co.uk...-clamp-key-clamp-tube-or-scaffolding-4-2.aspx
if you particularly want bright shiny then get it powder coated in a chrome or titanium finish.

 

[wotayottie]

Thanks for that Viagio. The system that airbreeze sell is aluminium but I was hoping to do it in stainless. ,Looks as if I will have to go the ally route to get the right diameter.

 

[clyst]

Thanks for that Viagio. The system that airbreeze sell is aluminium but I was hoping to do it in stainless. ,Looks as if I will have to go the ally route to get the right diameter.

If push comes to shove on the "pole" issue and you consider the Airbreeze alloy system checkout the "rubber insulation" I spent near £400 on the airbreeze package . Utter rip off
the insulation is hard plastic with little or no noise/vibration reduction . The aft cabin is unusable even with earlugs !

Sorry to be soooo negative

 

[Jassira]

I have an AirX, I mounted it on schedule 40 stainless steel pipe and made my own mounting brackets.

www.metals4u.co.uk/Grade-304-Stainl...d-40-Stainless-Steel-Pipe/165/2961/detail.asp